Some 550 cinema venues across the U.K. will celebrate cinema and cinema-going under the banner of National Cinema Day on Sept. 3.
The initiative, which has the participation of all the major U.K. cinema chains and wide range of smaller cinema operators and venues, will see all participating cinemas offer tickets for all screenings from £3 ($3.50). The aim is to encourage as large and wide an audience of cinema-goers as possible to enjoy the big screen experience.
The celebration arrives as the U.K. cinema sector makes a post-pandemic recovery, with both box office and admissions now tracking at 80% of the record-breaking levels seen in 2018 and 2019, which were the biggest years for cinema-going since 1970.
National Cinema Day has been developed by the cross-industry body Cinema First and is supported by the Film Distributors’ Association and the U.K. Cinema Association. The event will be promoted through a wide-ranging marketing effort using broadcast, digital and outdoor channels.
Iain Jacob, chair of Cinema First, said: “There seems no better time than now to celebrate U.K. cinema-going, one of the nation’s favourite out-of-home leisure activities. Coming off the back of a very strong summer for the sector and looking forward to further film highlights over the rest of the year, we wanted to give everyone a chance to enjoy the big screen experience with the film of their choice.
While all the evidence confirms that cinema-going is amongst the most affordable and best value-for-money leisure opportunities, we also of course recognise the impacts of the current cost of living challenges facing many households and wanted to do our bit to make a trip to the cinema even more affordable.
I am hugely grateful for the level of support shown by colleagues across the industry for National Cinema Day, which we very much hope could become a key annual event.”
